CNN: Administration criticized over oil spill estimates

CNN.com ^ | October 6, 2010 | By the CNN Wire Staff

[Oldeconomybuyer]

The Obama administration vastly underestimated the tens of thousands of barrels of oil pouring into the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, despite contrary information from scientists using better methodologies, a report from a national panel investigating the response said Wednesday.

And, the report said, the White House Office of Management and Budget squelched higher worst-case estimates once government officials accepted them, preventing the public from hearing them.

The staff also sharply criticized later White House estimates that 75 percent of the oil had been scooped up, burned or naturally dispersed, saying an operational tool -- known as the oil budget -- used by responders failed to account for biodegradation and was not peer-reviewed by scientists.

"By initially underestimating the amount of oil flow and then, at the end of the summer, appearing to underestimate the amount of oil remaining in the Gulf, the federal government created the impression that it was either not fully competent to handle the spill or not fully candid with the American people about the scope of the problem," said Wednesday's report.

[Walkingfeather]

The Obama administration vastly underestimated....

underestimated??

[screaminsunshine]

They got paid off. You can figure out when by when they quit screaming about it.. I wonder how much BP paid Carvile to shut up?

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Yea, I thought the Kenyan sent his best Nobel Prize winners to the gulf ... oh, and his best DOJ lawyers.

[refermech]

Not sticking up for these jerks but just where is all this oil??

[Freddd]

Wow this news has been out all day....

Obama hid the damage.

Media was complicit in it.

Told ya ...

[Carley]

Obamao’s stance on the oil spill.....

oil spill,what oil spill.